Kyocera AVX has released an interactive digital-twin design tool for battery-powered 5G and massive IoT applications.

The electronics component maker is the South Carolina-based subsidiary of the Japanese technology giant.

Powered by Deutsche Telekom IoT and offered in partnership with Kyocera AVX, the IoT Optimizer provides an all-in-one design platform that allows users to model and validate quickly, accurately and cost-effectively NB-IoT and LTE-M devices equipped with Kyocera antennas.

These are for high-reliability IoT applications in the commercial, industrial, telecoms, datacoms, medical, automotive, transportation and consumer electronics markets.

It accelerates proof-of-concept and testing cycles, saving developers and service providers time and money so they can meet pressing market demands. Available under several licensing options, the online tool provides enterprises with a step-by-step guide to configure and virtually test unlimited IoT device and deployment configurations, allowing them to compose their design, benchmark hundreds of components and devices from the IoT industry, and optimise their application’s battery life in minutes.

Users can also evaluate existing Kyocera antenna products, identify optimum antenna placement locations to improve performance, or define custom specifications to meet requirements that aren’t satisfied by standard options. Furthermore, enterprises can assess the impact of various deployment conditions, mobile operator network feature configurations across the globe, and different clouds and application protocols.

“Unlike traditional simulation tools, our IoT Optimizer allows customers to evaluate and test their IoT device designs using virtual models of readily available components including wireless communication modules, batteries and antennas while also taking the size of the device and the defining the behaviour of the use case into account,” said Carmen Redondo, marketing director at Kyocera AVX. “This helps customers quickly identify and sufficiently account for any risks and ensures a proper integration in just minutes instead of days or weeks, which can make an enormous difference in terms of time to market.”

The tool lets users simulate the performance of NB-IoT and LTE-M antennas, helping companies visualise how antenna placement translates coverage performance and the latter’s impact on battery life. They can also use this tool to request custom antennas.

“The IoT Optimizer connects enterprises to Deutsche Telekom IoT’s global ecosystem of industry-leading hardware and service partners,” said Miguel Rodriguez, senior manager at Deutsche Telekom IoT. “The cloud-based planning tool digitalises IoT productisation, integrates a growing catalogue of components and devices, and enables businesses to optimise their IoT solutions for a superior business case. We are pleased to partner with Kyocera AVX and add their wide portfolio of antennas to the product shelf.”

Applications that can be designed include smart home and city services, smart grid and lighting systems, smart meters, fleet and asset tracking, building monitoring and construction equipment, agricultural sensors, security systems, medical devices, payment and retail terminals, and consumer electronics devices.

“The IoT Optimizer is the result of two years of close collaboration with our strategic partner Deutsche Telekom IoT, and we are both proud of the wide-ranging capabilities it offers and the impactful benefits it provides for an ever-growing number of engineers engaged in developing IoT designs,” said Redondo. “The IoT Optimizer is a comprehensive, intuitive and interactive online tool that allows customers to model, test and validate their IoT designs with just a few clicks, and enables them to quickly and cost-effectively choose the best full-chain components at the beginning of their design cycle, hastening their time to market and potentially even improving their profitability. In addition, its partner licence option invites suppliers to integrate their proprietary products and testing data into the tool to further enhance its utility.”

It is available to Kyocera AVX customers as a licensed tool with three subscription options. The test licence from Deutsche Telekom IoT allows users to create an unlimited number of projects as part of a free, three-month trial that provides full access to the tool. The renewable customer licence is suitable for users who already have several design ideas or builds in progress and need access for at least 12 months. The partner licence allows users to integrate their devices onto the shelf for a global promotion, as well as leverage own-brand white labelling and six hours training on the tool.

It is live on the Kyocera AVX web site, and will be demonstrated on the site in a webinar on April 28, 2022, at 11:00am EDT.

Kyocera AVX is a manufacturer of electronic components. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera, it has a global footprint comprised of several dozen research, development and manufacturing facilities spanning more than 15 countries.